Businesses hire freelance writers all the time. That’s a great thing for us! And for them. Freelance writers are flexible, come with a variety of skills and companies don’t have to pay us benefits (though it’d be nice wouldn’t it?). One of the tricky things about working with companies, particularly small businesses with little experience hiring freelance writers, is that you’ve got to help them along the way. As someone who’s worked almost exclusively with small companies and start-ups, I have a few lessons I’ve learned. Here are a few parcels of wisdom for freelance writers applying for writing gigs…
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I hope not because I’d cringe over my early parcels of prose. And whether I consider myself to be a “great” writer on any given day may force me to close up shop. Yet many people (disgruntled writers, elitist writers, etc.) may persuade you otherwise. In fact, that writer may be you. If you’re waiting for your portfolio to catch up with the title, you’ll be waiting forever. Anyway, the writer you are today is much better than who you were yesterday. It’s a rare few who enter this world brimming with talent. Most of us have to learn the…
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After I got my second degree (my first was a BA in English and then a MA in Counseling Psychology), I reached an inevitable confusion spurred from a lifetime of being a professional student. It was 2006 and I had suddenly wakened from my reverie. I spent most of my twenties sitting down in the career section of Borders thumbing through guides with titles like, What to Do With Your Life. And now that school was over and my pocketbook showed no chance of going back, I realized it was time to finally answer that question for myself. In 2007,…
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It’s always exciting to see your name in print no matter how long you’ve been a writer! This is especially the case since packing up my life in the Bay Area to move to Kailua, Hawaii where there were just reminiscence, crumbs really, of my Hawaii writing past. High school newspaper clips, college letters to the editors, and jobs in marketing. But nothing substantial to base a new writing career here in the islands. Thankfully, my ambition overpowered my fear and after a successful jaunt at a handful of networking events, I scored a few assignments for Element Media, a…
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In The Courage to Write, Ralph Keyes says: “Just thinking about being a writer can be scary (as well as thrilling; the two tend to go hand in hand). Saying-even to yourself-“I’m a writer,” or “I’m going to be a writer,” or even “I guess I’ll do some writing now,” feels presumptuous; like a five-year-old playing make-believe for bemused grown-ups.” What makes calling ourselves “writers” so scary? Doctors, teachers, heck even my husband can spout out their careers as if they were describing the weather. Whereas I? I fumble through the word inaudibly. Fear of Being Judged I think it…
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Talent can take you far in life. But hard work will push you further than talent alone. What I’ve learned in the last 6 years I’ve been freelance writing is there are other skills besides writing that can benefit the successful freelance writer. And that’s a good thing! This means that I don’t need to be as creative as Young House Lovers John and Sherry, funny as Martha Beck or as pushy as some go-getter writers to be successful. Talk about a load off of my back. If I had to be naturally talented like the authors I drool over,…
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Here it is. I can write to my heart’s content meeting and surpassing deadlines if it is for someone else. In fact, it is one of my writerly strengths to submit a piece days before it’s due. But my own work? Sadly, still sitting untouched in Google Drive. I know that writers need a break. I understand that paid work feeds the hungry writer. But the idea that I’ve let this dream of mine slide eats away at this writer’s soul. It makes me feel like a failure and a fake. I see successes like hers and a pulsating thought…
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Thank you Stephanie and Jan for reminding me about 2 things: 1) To keep up this blog! 2) To be more compassionate. Their comment comes on the heels of a short answer I compiled for O magazine. If you want to read my little published shpeal on compassion, it’s right here. But the main reason I’m writing this is that I think too many of us get comfy in our writing couches and stop taking chances. Maybe we had HUGE dreams about what it would mean to be a freelance writer and since we didn’t achieve them, we kind of…
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Every freelance writer is skilled at something. Maybe you’re a social media whiz or a marketing pro (If so, email me.). Or you’re just savvy with your “born-this-way” natural writing abilities. Bravo! We should all celebrate what we’re good at. As for me, I think I’ve got a hankering for getting or at least almost getting jobs. Call it years of experience from being a job hopper, but it’s how I was able to get a job as a PI and a RA and graduate with a MFT. It’s the type of learn-on-the-job info that’s helped me get responses like…
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There’s lots to keep you busy in December. Need I list them? Christmas, Hanukkah, gearing up for your Resolutions list come January. But there are a handful of things you won’t want to forget while you’re busy making a list and checking it twice. Here are 5 things you don’t want to miss if you’re a freelance writer: 1. Say, “Thanks!” We often forget what it was like when we had no clients. When there were no deadline, no phone calls, no projects in the near future. Or worse, when we had nightmare clients who were worse to work…